Much of the work done by carpenters, painters, electricians and plumbers is carried out on a ladder. Equipment, tools and supplies are used by these professionals as they are perched atop the ladders. Juggling these materials as workers ascend, descend and work atop the ladder can create precarious situations. Containers that can be secured to a ladder and hold materials and equipment allow the professional to work safely on the ladder and reduce the number of trips up and down the ladder to re-supply.
Containers supported by or attachable to ladders which are suitable for holding hardware or paint have existed in various configuration for years. These containers typically utilize means that permit temporary attachment of the container to a step ladder or an extension ladder. A common problem associated with ladder supported containers is that such containers are often specifically designed to attach to a single type of ladder. Furthermore, these ladder supported containers often only permit attachment to a specific configuration of step ladder or a specific configuration of extension ladder. As many variations of ladders exist in the market place there can be difficulty in finding a proper container that the ladder will accommodate.
Another problem associated with typical ladder supported containers has been that the means utilized to secure the containers to a ladder typically requires attachment either to two steps of a step ladder; to a step of a step ladder and the ladder rail; or to two spaced apart rungs of an extension ladder. Means which secure to the ladder rail only require some disassembly and reassembly or require the use of fasteners. Due to the variations in ladder construction, the means of the containers often have to be adjusted when possible to securely attach the container to a ladder. Where adjustment isn""t possible often the container cannot be utilized with particular ladders.
Existing ladder supported containers are often problematic to mount on a ladder because of the necessity to attach them to the ladder at more than one point. Additionally, most ladder supported containers require the user to hold the container with one hand, while attaching the container to the ladder with a second hand. This is particularly difficult when the means by which the container is attached to the ladder includes fasteners. It is both difficult and dangerous to devote both hands to mounting a container to a ladder when the user is standing on the ladder. If the ladder supported container mounts in a manner where the container is not centered on the ladder but is cantilevered off the ladder and attaches to the ladder rail, the attachment process becomes even more difficult and dangerous. In an arrangement of this type the user must lean away from the ladder holding the container while fastening the container to the ladder.
Existing container attachment designs that utilize a single step for securement typically utilize a support on the container which can be attached to a single rung or step and from which the container hangs. A problem associated with this design is the lack of stability of the container that can easily be accidentally moved in relation to the ladder. Furthermore, the devices used to hang the container are located above the container""s interior and often block access to the container""s interior. Container supports of this type often do not have a secure attachment to the container, as well, and allow the container to swing in relation to the support if the support is used to carry the container up or down the ladder.
Existing ladder supported containers whose means for ladder attachment is integral with the container suffer the problem of instability when the container is not attached to a ladder. Filling a container with paint or other items is difficult as the user must somehow support the container to do so. Use of a container of this type when off the ladder is extremely restricted and often not even possible.
Many containers do not have a handle and require the user to grab on to the container wherever possible. This is problematic to the user who is required to both hold the container while moving up and down the ladder, and to hold the container while securing the container to the ladder. Not finding an adequate area to hold on to the container can be both difficult and dangerous to the user while moving the container or securing it to the ladder.
Container designs that do utilize a handle have problems associated with the use of the handle. Many handles additionally serve as means by which to attach the container to the ladder. In this design the handle is typically located above the container, often obstructing the user from the container itself. Additionally, the user of a container of this type has to mount the handle onto a step or rung and then somehow remove his or her hand from the handle once the handle is attached to the ladder.
Other container designs that also include a handle make the handle only useful when moving up or down the ladder. The handle in these container designs is often unusable during the mounting of the container on the ladder. This requires the user to hold onto a different portion of the container during securement of the container to the ladder, a process which is both difficult and dangerous when standing atop a ladder.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that there is a need for a means by which to attach a container to a ladder securely and easily. The container should securely mount and dismount to different types of ladders, securely mounting to a step ladder, to an extension ladder when fully extended, or to an extension ladder in a position when the ladder sections are overlapping. There is also a need for a ladder supported container that includes a container portion that extends laterally outward from the ladder so as not to interfere with the normal operation of the ladder. There is a further need for a ladder supported container that allows the user to mount the container with one hand only and includes no fasteners and additionally includes no device that will obstruct the user from accessing the container portion of the container.
The bracket assembly of the subject invention allows a container, such as a bucket, to be removably attached to a ladder. The bracket assembly comprises a bracket disposed within pivot supports on a bracket support. The bracket support has a rail contact surface on one peripheral edge. The bracket support has attachment means for attaching the support to a container.
The bracket securely affixes the bracket assembly and attached container to a ladder laterally so the assembly and container will not interfere with use of the ladder. A bracket is disposed within pivot supports on the bracket support. The bracket is freely rotatable within these pivot supports. A second section of the bracket extends from the first section at a substantially right angle from the first section. A third section extends rearwardly from the second section in a direction substantially at a right angle to the second section and substantially parallel to the first section. The third section is disposed outwardly from the rail contact surface of the bracket support at a spaced apart lateral distance from the rail contact surface of the support. The spaced apart distance defines a ladder rail receiving gap. The bracket further includes a fourth section disposed at the distal end of the bracket and extending from the third section at substantially a right angle to the third section. The bracket first, second, and third section define a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shape.
The bracket is freely rotatable within the pivot supports from at least a first position where the bracket second section is supported by the bracket support; to a second position where the second section has rotated upwardly in a clockwise direction from the support. In the second position, the bracket is able to pinch a ladder rail between the bracket third section and the rail contact surface of the support.
The bracket assembly allows a container to be easily mounted to and dismounted from different types of ladders and, will securely mount to a step ladder, to an extension ladder when fully extended, or to an extension ladder in a position when the ladder sections are overlapping. The bracket assembly of the subject invention allows the user to mount the container with one hand only and includes no fasteners and additionally includes no support member that will obstruct the user from accessing the container portion of the container. The ladder supported container extends laterally outward from the ladder so as not to interfere with the normal operation of the ladder.
In a preferred embodiment, the bracket support of the bracket assembly of the subject invention is integral with the container. The container includes a bottom panel and an upstanding peripheral wall. The upstanding peripheral wall typically includes four wall sections which extend upward from the bottom panel. The bottom panel and the upstanding peripheral walls define the interior of the container.
A lip is disposed on the upstanding peripheral wall proximate the top portion of the upstanding peripheral wall. This lip serves as the bracket support. The lip extends laterally outward from the upstanding peripheral wall. A first lip section extends from the first wall section. The first lip section includes an outward facing rail contact surface. The lip extends laterally outward but typically not upward from the peripheral wall of the container. The lip further includes two pivot supports disposed at a position intermediate the rail contact surface of the lip and the first wall section of the container. The bracket is disposed within the pivot supports.
The container of this embodiment is self supporting when the container is not attached to a ladder; and, provides a secure handle for easily holding the container while moving the container, or while securing the container to a ladder which does not interfere with utilizing the container once mounted to a ladder.